The Top 3 Qualities of a Great Healthcare Provider

It’s here. Open Season. Oh boy. Maybe you’re stressed out, or maybe you’re excited, but the fact is this: you have an important decision to make.

To assist you on your Open Season journey, here are three of the most important qualities to look for in a Plan.

1. Simple to use

This is your health, and it shouldn’t be rocket science. Make sure you select a Plan that tells you what you’re getting upfront, that makes it easy to choose a benefits package and that is willing to answer your questions when you have them.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Federal Employee Program^® (FEP) is built on bedrocks of simplicity and ease of use. The Plan has two options, Standard and Basic, and both help connect users with all the resources they need.

Easily accessible digital tools let FEP members keep track of their healthcare expenses, as well as easily determine whether a care provider is part of their coverage.

2. Broad coverage

Equally important to the value of your benefits program is the scope of its coverage, because knowing whether you’re covered doesn’t matter much if you aren’t.

Quality healthcare comes through in the numbers: How broad is the coverage? In any given area, how likely is it that you’ll find an in-network provider? These are the questions that can help you determine the value of a program.

With over 5.4 million federal employees relying on its value, FEP has numbers on its side. Some of those members have even retained their FEP coverage for many decades. And why? At a roundtable last year covering the 2016 benefits program, high retention rates were attributed to the sheer size of its network. That’s because FEP’s Preferred provider network is nearly one million strong—and the “secret sauce” comes from the 36 local Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that comprise that network, creating a community-enabled program that is in turn fortified at the national level. In the United States alone, 92 percent of doctors and 96 percent of hospitals are part of the program, and the available coverage continues overseas.

3. Invested in your health

When you’re choosing a benefits program, you’ll want to enroll somewhere you’ll not only feel competent and covered but also actively encouraged to be the healthiest you can be. Determining the total value of a program is a multifaceted measurement, and it doesn’t stop after ensuring responsive care.

Having an invested healthcare provider means feeling confident that your Plan was crafted with you and your behavior in mind. With FEP, your benefits package isn’t just a tool to use when something goes wrong—it’s actually a proactive asset. Monetary incentives for goalkeeping and taking care of long-term conditions work together to keep you healthy and motivated.

And get this: the tools and benefits available through FEP are only expanding in 2017. Members can now sync more than 25 different activity trackers with their personal member account to keep track of goals. The incentives for managing long-term conditions, such as diabetes, have also increased; members who complete up to three eligible goals can earn at least $170 a year.

With Blue Cross and Blue Shield FEP running the race alongside you, keeping yourself healthy feels like a true team effort.

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